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Ex-Montana governor considering 2016 White House bid

Former Montana governor Brian Schweitzer indicated in an interview that he's open to running for president in 2016, even if Hillary Rodham Clinton gets into the race. "I still hold the people of Iowa and New

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Former Montana governor Brian Schweitzer indicated in an interview that he's open to running for president in 2016, even if Hillary Rodham Clinton gets into the race.

"I still hold the people of Iowa and New Hampshire in high regard," Schweitzer told RealClearPolitics. "The people of Iowa are a whole lot like the people of Montana. And, of course, New Hampshire's a lot like Montana. We don't have a sales tax. 'Live Free or Die' — we understand that notion in Montana."

Schweitzer, a colorful and folksy Democrat who served two terms as governor, earlier this year declined to run for the seat of retiring Sen. Max Baucus in the conservative-leaning Montana. That leaves the Senate seat vulnerable to a possible pickup by Republicans

Clinton, who has said it's too early for her to decide about 2016, has led early public opinion polls for the Democratic presidential nomination — and has even bested some Republicans such as Chris Christie who are mentioned as potential GOP candidates..

In his RealClearPolitics interview, Schweitzer did say it is "time for a woman to be president" but suggested there are some in America who might say, "Isn't there somebody other than a Bush or a Clinton who can be president in these modern times?"